Chests for silverware and the like



Oct. 10, 1961 N. KATzlN CHESTS FOR SILVERWARE AND THE LIKE Filed July 26, 1960 ZOE- mw, TZ mr wm M m G M r Wi'l United States Paten 3,003,840 CHESTS FOR SILVERWARE AND THE LIKE Nathan Katzin, 220 S. Main St., Rocky Mount, N.C. Filed July 26, 1960, Ser. No. 45,330 1o claims. (Cl. 31a-298) This invention relates to chests for table silverware and the like, and to a novel relationship between the chest proper and its cover, whereby the latter is utilized advantageousiy in connection with the chest when not being used as a cover. Chests for silverware have long been known and used for the storage and preservation of silverware, such chests frequently being stored on a shelf or in a cabinet drawer. -In the latter case, the chest is prone to sliding movement in the drawer, which is in itself a source of inconvenience, and often requires the removal of the chest from the drawer when it is to be used for the removal or replacement of its silverware. Such chests as are known are usually provided with hinged covers so that they cannot conveniently be opened inside a drawer.

A principal object of the invention is to provide such a chest overcoming these inconveniences and having a cover which may be used as such, but which also may be reversed with respect to the chest and slid beneath it, cooperating with the chest to provide additional storage space. Means are provided on the chest and cover to movably and adjustably connect them in either position.

Further objects of the present invention are to provide a chest which may be stabilized against movement within a drawer or other enclosure by means carried within itself; in which the cover may be utilized as an extension of the chest to form a tray, providing additional storage space; and in which the cover and chest may be interlockingly adjusted with respect to one another to provide a relatively wide or relatively narrow additional storage space. Additional objects and vadvantages will become apparent from the accompanying drawings and specification, depicting and describing one practical embodiment of `the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE Al is a perspective View of the chest with the cover in partially open position.

FIGURE 2 is a similar view with the cover reversed and used as an extension of the chest.

FlGURE 3 is a central, vertical sectional view taken along the line 3`3 of FIGURE 2.

FlGURE 4 is a central, vertical sectional view taken along the line 4 4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a sectional detail showing the slide connection between the cover and chest.

FlGURE 6 is a similar detail showing the slide connection when the cover is reversed with respect to the chest.

FGURE 7 is a perspective detail of a portion of the bottom of the chest.

The invention comprises a box or chest 10 having end walls 11, side walls 12 and a bottom 1'3. Each side wal-l 12 has a groove 14 provided on its outer surfaces, the groove being coextensive in length with lthat of said side wall and is formed therein substantially midway of its height. The box may be provided with blocks 15 and 16 which are transversely slotted at appropriate intervals to receive various items of table silverware for storage purposes, and these blocks may be fastened to the box, preferably to the bottom, in any desired manner. These blocks and the interior of the box are preferably lined with a chemically impregnated material to prevent tarnishing of the silverware. The sides of the box along the interior thereof, and adjacent their upper edges, are provided with the male or stud portions of separable or snap fasteners 17 to which `a similarly treated cover cloth 19 may be secured by means of the female portions 18 of the fasteners which are carried by said cover cloth.

The chest is provided with a pair of covers which are slidable with respect to it, each cover being approximately one-half the length of the chest. The covers being substantially identical, only one will be described. Each cover has a top portion 20, one end wall 20a, and two side walls 20b. Each side wall 20b has its interior surface provided with -a longitudinally extending .rib or rail 20c, this rib or rail being secured to the wall 2019 so as to register with and ride in the groove 14 of the chest. lt will thus be seen that each cover can be applied to the chest by sliding it over an end thereof with the top portion 20 sliding over the upper edges of the sides 12 and the rails 20c sliding inthe grooves 14. A particular feature of note here, as most clearly shown in FIGURE 5, is that the rib or rail is approximately one-half the width of the groove in size, for a reason which will hereinafter appear.

The bottom 13 of the chest is ext-criorly grooved transversely as at 13a, best shown in FIGURES 3 and 7, this grooving covering substantially the entire bottom with the exception of the central portion of the chest. This central portion is provided with a transverse dovetail slot 2l to receive a slidable dovetail keeper member 22, which will further be described herein.

It will be noted that the interior surface of the cover portion 20 is transversely grooved over a substantial 'area at 23d, in a manner to correspond with the grooves 13a of the bottom of the chest. The cover 20 has a double function in connection with the chest as will now be explained. Such chests of silverware are frequently stored in a bureau or buffet in a dining room, and in the chests of the known prior art, the covers were usually hinged, which often made it necessary to remove the chest from the drawer before the chest could be opened. No means was heretofore provided to stabilize such a chest in a particular place in a drawer so that it could serve as a permanent tray in the drawer to store the silverware, making it of ready and easy access at all times. The present chest is an improvement over the prior art in these respects. When not used as a cover, the cover may be-reversed with respect to the chest and the cover portion 20 slid beneath the bottom 13, the rails 20c entering the groove 14, but occupying the lower portion thereof. Thus it will be clear that the grooves 20d will interlock with the grooves 13a along any portion of the bottom so that the inverted cover may be adjusted endwise to any locked position with respect to the end of the chest. Assuming that the chest is placed into any drawer or other enclosure A, either or both of the covers may be adjusted endwise with respect to the chest until they are brought into contact with the end Wallsof the drawer. This is accomplished by lifting the chest v10 and sliding the inverted cover with respect to it, the rails 20c thereof riding on the lower portion of the groove 14. When the end wall 20a of the inverted cover is stopped by the end -wall of the drawer or enclosure A, the chest is dropped to engage the corresponding grooved meeting faces of the bottom 13 and the cover 20. When this takes place, the rail 20c is lifted slightly from the bottom of the groove 14- and will occupy the position substantially as illustrated in FIGURE 6. The chest will now be stabilized against endwise movement in the drawer A. To further stabilize it against sidewise movement, the keeper member 22 is slid outwardly of its slot until it engages the adjacent wall, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. The keeper is pro,- vided with `a plurality of spaced holes 22a to receive a pin or dowel 23 closely adjacent the wall 12, thus locking the chest against movement in the direction of the keeper. The chest is now completely stabilized in the drawer where it may conveniently be used as a tray for silverware, but from which it may be removed at will and covered again for more permanent storage. When used as a tray, the treated cloths 19 fully protect the contents.

It will be observed that when the chest is used as a tray, with the inverted covers extended as shown in FIG- URES 2 and 3, the rails 20c may be used to support additional trays, one of which is shown in dotted lines at B.

While one practical embodiment of the invention is shown and described, it will be understood that changes in detail of the design or construction and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as dened by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. A chest for table silverware and the like comprising a body having side and end Walls, the outer side of each side wall having a groove therein coextensive with its length, a cover for said chest slidable with respect thereto and having at least two sides, each inside wall of said cover sides having a strip secured thereto in a longitudinal direction, said groove being at least twice the thickness of said strip, said strip engaging in the upper portion of said groove when the lcover is in place on said chest, said cover being reversible with respect to said chest whereby the cover is slidable over the bottom of said chest, the strips of the sides thereupon engaging in the lower portion of said groove, and cooperating means on the bottom of said chest and an inside wall of said cover to lock said cover and chest together in any extended relationship therebetween.

2. A chest according to claim l wherein said cooperating means comprises interlocking ribs and grooves on the meeting faces of said chest and cover.

3. A chest for silverware and the like comprising a box and a cover therefor, said cover having a top, side walls and one end wall to envelope the box, said cover being slidable with respect to said box to cover same and being reversible with respect to said box to slide on the bottom thereof, and form an extension thereof and cooperating means on said box and cover to engage them slidably both in covering and in reversed position, said means comprising a rib on one and an interengaging groove on the other, the width of the groove being at least twice the thickness of said rib throughout its length, said cover being an extension of said box when in reversed position.

4. A chest for silverware and the like comprising a box and a cover therefor, said cover being slidable with respect to said box to cover same and being reversible with respect to said box to slide on the bottom thereof, means slidably interlocking said box and cover in both covering and reversed positions, and additional interlocking means in the bottom of said box and on the corresponding meeting face of said cover whereby said cover may be locked in any adjusted position with respect to said box to provide a tray adjacent said box when the cover is reversed.

5. A reversible cover and chest combination in which the cover is slidable with respect to the chest as a cover and is reversible with respect to the chest to slide along the bottom thereof as an extension of the chest, comprising a chest having side walls and a cover therefor having side walls overyling the chest walls, means on said walls for guiding them with respect to one another in sliding relationship in both positions of the cover, and means on said chest and cover for locking them in any extended relation when the cover is in reversed position.

6. A combination as claimed in claim 5, in which said last-named means comprises interlocking ribs and grooves on the meeting faces of said chest and cover.

7. A reversible cover and chest combination in which the cover is slidable with respect to the chest as a cover and is reversible with respect to the chest to slide along the bottom thereof as an extension of the chest, comprising a chest having side walls and a groove extending longitudinally thereof on each wall, a cover therefor having side walls to overlie the side walls of said chest, said cover walls having longitudinally extending rails thereon, said rails `being slidable in said grooves in covering or reversed position, the meeting faces of the bottom of the `chest and the cover, when the latter is in reversed position with respect to the chest, having interlocking means to prevent sliding movement of one with respect to the other.

8. Means for stabilizing a chest within an enclosure comprising a chest having end extensions adjustably slidable with respect to the chest and adapted to abut against said enclosure, means on the bottom of the chest to receive a keeper, and a keeper slidable in said means, said keeper being adjustably extensible with respect to said chest and in a direction substantially normal to the direction of movement of said end extensions and adapted to abut against said enclosure, and means for locking said extensions and keeper in adjusted position.

9. A device according to claim 8, in which the means on the bottom of the chest comprises a groove therein, and said keeper comprises a rod slidably supported in said groove.

10. A chest for silverware and the like comprising a box and a cover therefor, said cover being slidable with respect to said box to cover same and being reversible with respect to said box to slide on the bottom thereof, means slidably interengaging said box and cover in both covering and reversed positions, and means on the bottom of said box and on the adjacent face of said cover for interlocking them against sliding movement with respect to one another when the cover is in reversed position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 451,664 Culver May 5, 1891 1,663,103 Thompson Mar. 20, 1928 2,218,300 Schuster Oct. 15, 1940 2,907,487 Harrington Oct. 6, 1959 

